Arezki Yachir: Asylum seeker with top grades denied university place

An asylum seeker who received top grades in his A-levels has said he cannot take up his place at Queen's University because he is not eligible for a student loan or grant.

Arezki Yachir lives in north Belfast and has gone to school in Northern Ireland since 2014.

He received two A* grades and an A grade in his A-levels, taken at Blessed Trinity College, a few weeks ago.

He was refused leave to remain in the UK when he turned 18.

Mr Yachir, whose family came to Northern Ireland from Algeria in 2014, has appealed to the Immigration Tribunal against that decision.

That appeal is still ongoing.

'Liable to be detained'

His father claimed the family's life was under threat there due to opposition to his business as a wine merchant.

Due to his good A-level results, Mr Yachir had been accepted by Queen's University to study criminology and was due to begin his course on Monday 21 September.

But the Education Authority (EA) has told him as the Home Office has said that he is "liable to be detained" as "a person without leave", he is not eligible for a tuition fee loan or maintenance loan.

"I've lived here for quite a while now and not being able to go to university, not being able to do anything until I get residency or something like that, it's very sad and mentally it's tough as well," Mr Yachir told BBC News NI.

'The teachers were amazing'

He said that Blessed Trinity College, in north Belfast, had been a very good school.

"I felt very welcome, the teachers were amazing," he said.

"At the start it was a wee bit hard as I couldn't speak any English so I had to pace myself and take it easy.

"And then I did my GCSEs and was able to take my A-levels as well, and I just got my results recently.

"I got two A*s and an A and I got multiple offers for university.

"I chose Queen's because it's a very good university - obviously the ranking is pretty high in the UK so I thought I'd go there to study criminology because I was always passionate about it."

Mr Yachir was accepted for a place at Queen's but cannot take it up without a tuition fee loan and living costs loan.

'No status'

But he said he did not blame the EA for the situation he was in.

"The Education Authority, they can't really help me financially to go to university because as an asylum seeker, as a person with no status in the UK they can't really help me - but I'm not blaming them because they're just doing their job.

"I just think it's a bit sad that I can't go to university and keep on going with my education."

Mr Yachir had been accepted to study criminology at Queen's University

Refugees and asylum seekers are eligible to apply for tuition fee and maintenance loans to go to university.

However asylum seekers like Mr Yachir who are refused leave to remain are not eligible, even if they have launched an appeal.

Sinn Féin MP for North Belfast, John Finucane, said the decision by the Home Office "not to permit asylum seeker status to Arezki is wrong and it must reverse this decision".

"Arzeki and the Yachir family were forced to flee Algeria due to threats on their life - there is an obligation on us all to provide them with the maximum support in their new home", he added.

Mr Finucane said he had spoken with the family and their solicitor to offer his support, and had also been in contact with Queen's.

'I feel at home'

"I need either a student visa or residency and my court was still pending because of Covid for residency so right now I'm left in no situation," Mr Yachir said.

"I was supposed to start university next week and now, you know, I can't go anymore so it's a waste of a year - I'm pretty sad about it.

"I was young when I moved here so I feel at home."

He added: "I've got a lot of friends, all my friends are from here and they're all good people and I just feel very good here."

Mr Yachir's solicitor, Brian Moss of Worthington's Law in Belfast, is challenging the decision not to award him student funding.

"Arezki is an asylum seeker whose claim for asylum has been refused by the UK Home Office, but who has appealed to the Immigration Tribunal against that decision and this appeal is still outstanding," he said.

"That being so, Arezki is presently a person who specifically cannot be removed from the UK, and therefore, not liable to removal.

"His appeal might be successful, in which case he would of course be allowed to remain in the UK."

No date for Mr Yachir's appeal hearing has been set.

The EA said it could not discuss individual cases but if circumstances changed then applications for funding could be assessed for eligibility again.

The EA also said that Student Finance NI worked with students and the Home Office to obtain all the relevant documentation to help assess applications for eligibility for funding.